The X Factor Recap: Who's in the Top 16? And Who's Your Early Pick to Win? Take Our Poll!

The alarmed look on Simon Cowell’s face said it all. Tuesday night’s Top 16 announcement telecast of The X Factor featured more hysterical weeping than a Grey’s Anatomy season finale, a Justin Bieber concert, and an onion-slicing competition combined.

But all those tears weren’t entirely for naught. Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell narrowed down their respective Young Adult and Groups acts from six to four — and combined with the decisions by Britney Spears (Teens) and L.A. Reid (Over 25s) that aired last week in certain parts of the country (see the recap of those decisions here) — leading to a Top 16 that may not be flawless, but is nevertheless pretty promising.

Strangely enough, though, anyone tuning in to The X Factor for the first time this season might have thought differently. The way the show’s producers kept mashing up contestants’ isolated vocals with swelling/inspirational Top 40 hits by established artists resulted in a cacophonous sound that was akin to an elementary-school orchestra during tuneup.

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of soundtrack choices for reality singing competitions — or any TV shows in any genre — can we please call a moratorium on using Coldplay’s “Fix You” as shorthand for “sad things happen to emotionally fragile people”? Somewhere, Chris Martin is using stacks of hundred-dollar bills to rekindle the fire in Gwyneth Paltrow’s outdoor wood-burning oven (not a euphemism), but at what cost to his soul?

Anyhow, here’s how tonight’s announcements played out (ranked by division, from least to most promising):

Young Adults — Age 17-24 (Demi Lovato)
While shark-eyed label execs like L.A. Reid have probably fired assistants for accidentally booking meetings with artists who don’t fall in the 17-24 age group, I can’t help but feel Demi’s category is least likely to produce the Season 2 champ. That’s not to get too harsh on the Lady Lovato — she’s begun to win me over by giving plainspoken advice to her contestants and providing a couple of decent laughs during the audition rounds — but I can’t grasp how she cut raspy-voiced Jillian Jensen in favor of the inferior Paige or the probably-never-gonna-win Willie. (Somehow, I’m envisioning producers telling Demi, “But Jillian cries mascara-smudging, snot-running-down-your nose tears. That’s just too much reality for reality television!”) Anyway, without further ado…

4. Paige Thomas: Nobody in Season 2 looks or dresses more like she came off the pop-diva assembly line than Paige, but the young mother needs to spend more time getting her vocal glitches worked out than she does staring into a confessional camera and crying about the state of her life, her dreams, and her adorable toddler daughter.

3. Willie Jones: Demi told Willie that his biggest challenge will be finding a way to marry his passion for country music with his R&B tendencies. (In other words, she’s not sure if America is ready for a black kid who wants to be the next Scotty McCreery.) I’d say, though, that the inexperience that percolates through Willie’s performances — and the fact that he wore a bolo tie (!) to his final day at Judges’ Houses — are far bigger concerns that need addressing.

2. Jennel Garcia: Jennel’s audition to “Paris (Ooh La La)” still ranks among the season’s best, but there’s something borderline desperate about the way she’s trying to add the letters ‘S’ and ‘E’ before the show’s titular ‘X.’ Demi has already warned Jennel about her excessive hair-flipping, but I’d also say girlfriend needs a stern warning about nasty outfits like tonight’s chartreuse blazer (no blouse!) paired with booty shorts (Jennel must have gotten some kind of “buy 49, get the 50th pair free!” offer) and lacy stockings. If she can rein in her randy tendencies, however, the kid might still have a shot at the crown.

1. CeCe Frey: “She may not be the most likable person in the competition,” said Demi, who probably views CeCe the way Alicia Silverstone’s Cher eyed up ragged new girl Tai in Clueless. In other words, the brash postal worker is something of a fixer-upper, but the foundation is all there — including the “on-fire, fierce attitude,” and a really solid pop singing voice. Plus, She Who Paints Face Like Leopard keeps mentioning her willingness to work hard — which is never a bad thing in a reality singing-competition contender. But will hard work extend to her picking up Demi’s dry-cleaning? (I kid! I kid!)

Groups (Simon Cowell)
Simon may have the deepest bench of any mentor in the competition — as any one of his four groups has an outside shot at the Season 2 crown — even dreadfully arrogant Emblem3 (provided they return to their audition-round form, and learn that missing their cues and botching their harmonies isn’t the equivalent of “doing their best”). To be honest, I was a little surprised Emblem3’s spot in the finals didn’t go to cheesier-but-more-energetic Playback, but it was probably the right move: I mean, I can’t envision those cherubs cracking the Top 3 in their own category, let alone the entire competition. Plus, the quintet (or is it sextet? I can never keep track!) will provide endless fodder for the Teens and Young Adults category in Season 3. Also cut: R&B duo Dope Crisis, whom I suspect you’ve already forgotten thanks to a stunning lack of airtime. (Way to build suspense, X Factor editors!)

4. Emblem3: So the one dude who’s always in a hat used “work hard, play hard” as his life motto. The blonde rapper did one interview without his shirt, and then after he got the news he was going to the live shows, leapt into Simon’s pool — the better to rip off his top again and get a chance to “dry off” on TV. The third kid continued to play Teller in a production of Penn & Teller: The Musical! They’re all just completely Rated H…for Hell to the No!

3. Lylas: Collectively, this quintet has more vocal firepower than the entire Young Adult category combined, but their biggest challenge will be getting all five members to gel only a few weeks after Simon cobbled ‘em together. The good news is, Lylas has already learned how to simultaneously burst into tears/screams of hysteria, a skill they displayed after Simon made them the last act to advance to the live shows, beating out fellow pre-fab act Playback.

2. Sister C: “You just don’t ignore talent,” said Simon, after putting the season’s strongest country act into the live shows. I was expecting the cranky British judge to axe the trio for an alleged lack of likability (a theory that has yet to be supported with actual footage). I’m not sure if Simon’s concern stems from the fact that the three sisters didn’t get half as weepy as the ladies of Lylas during his deliberations, but here’s the thing: I only need Sister C to sing brilliantly — which thus far, they’ve managed — not drive themselves to the brink of emotional collapse. I mean, can’t a little levelheadedness be an appealing attribute? It’s not like the losing acts get dropped into the pit to be fed to the Rancor, is it?

1. Lyric 145: I’m not gonna lie to you: I’m not the world’s biggest rap fanatic by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m completely under the spell of Lyric Da Queen and her two guys from Queens. They’d better live up to that awesome “Party in the USA” cover or I’m gonna be devastated.

And with that, let me turn things over to you:

Did the right acts advance to the Season 2 Top 16? If not, who was unjustly ousted, and who should’ve been kicked to the curb? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

I think it was Jennel who got in at Jillians’ expense. I had CeCe, Paige and Willie pegged as in just by the edits they’ve gotten the whole season. I sort of had a bad feeling when they paired up Jennel and Jillian during Bootcamp. I just knew one would not make it to lives.

Doubt it was at Jillian’s expense. Cece and Jennel are the strongest in the group and from their edits, you could tell they were always going to go through. Think the last spot was between Paige/Jillian or Willie/Jillian. Probably Paige since she hasn’t been able to top her audition so far.

ha just noticed the reply above also looked at the edits to decide. I thought Jillian got a better edit than Willie and that’s why I thought she was going to go through, but I think Demi really wanted a male in the group.

Yeah I think if Willie had been female he’d have been out, but I guess it was too hard to dump both guys. It is a shame about Jillian, she, and perhaps the long lost Jeff, being gone are the two that were really sad to see go and kind of got me annoyed. Otherwise I think they basically got it right, not crazy about the over 25’s country guy, should’ve been Jeff over him for sure or even the other guy.

Yeah, I’m very much with Michael on this one. Paige is weak, she was completely outshone by CeCe when they sung the same song. Jennel is a force to be reckoned with personality wise but vocally she has been all over the place. And Willie has a lot of charm and I hope he sticks around but he has vocal work to do too. None of the other three come even close to having the best voice. CeCe is simply head and shoulders above the other three. This doesn’t mean I like her or want her to go well, though. I would prefer Willie and Jennel to do better. And also, I’d say they are the weakest set of four.

Well to be fair, I only think she has the best voice of the young adults. I’d put all three of the female teens ahead of her. The young adults just aren’t the best bunch. CeCe can really sing though. ‘Not liking her voice’ does not equal ‘she doesn’t have the best voice’. Sometimes you just have to accept that some people are good even though you, personally, don’t dig it (for me, in this competition this will probably be Sister C).

I know she maybe acts and seems like she puts up a front to fake talent, but she actually does have a lot of talent. Whatever you think, she actually IS really good. She does have a really good voice and she does have the ability to project like a star, although a combo of some of how she acted, for whatever reasons underneath it all, and the edit have her in a bit of a spot perhaps.

Michael, how on earth is CeCe #1 in your eyes? Sometimes you truly baffle minds.
That being said, I do agree that the groups are very strong this year & I’m going to go ahead & predict a LYLAS victory for 2 reasons:
1. They do have the talent to go far in this competition.
2. Their mentor is SImon Cowell, & HE formed them, so it wouldn’t shock me to see them win.

Was very pleasantly surprised by the results tonight. The only young adult I like is CeCe (I think it’s by far the weakest category) and I thought she was a goner when it was down to her and Jillian. Also thrilled for Lylas and Sister C tho I would have chosen Playback over Emblem3. Couple that w the results from last week and I will have a hard time choosing who to vote for each week.

I know Vino has little to no chance to win, but like Josh Krajcik last year, I think he’s the most interesting person in the competition. He’s got that soul thing going on.
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The way the producers have changed the categories, I don’t think they intend for an over 25 year old to win. The majority of voting public is going to be 25 or younger, and they’re not going to vote for Jason or Vino, as evidenced in the above poll.
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Why is Simon even bothering to do this? He may believe that everyone should have a chance, the overs category is an exercise in futility.

Willie Jones should have gone home. I am actually pretty baffled he made it to judges homes. Jillian’s voice was out of this world….I was SO bummed out and heartbroken that she didn’t make it….she was special…

Yeah, I guess she thought Paige could project like a star better (when not falling apart), I don’t know. And I guess they wanted to keep at least one guy (and on most of these shows the guys tend to move along farther given any given talent level than the girls so maybe that was on her mind too or maybe the producers told her to keep so and so or else).

If they do a crazy we sent a wrong one home thing again, which would be corny and yet most welcome all the same, she would be the one to bring back next week.

I kinda thought Willie was the weakest of the ones they kept for that group, Paige did some really good things at times, although has gotten a bit mumbly and garbled at times more recently with a nice tone and power and yet something a bit off all the same.

I’m not really a fan of Jillian’s voice, but given the hug Demi gave her in the auditions, I thought she’d get thru. Perhaps it wasn’t her voice that was the determining factor, though. As an observation, not criticism, her emotional stability seemed quite weak. I think she’d start crying if her hamburger was too cold. Or too hot.

no, i think he just ignores manufactured story lines, character arcs and bad edits and bases his picks on voice and performance.

you may do the same, but a lot of people here have been commenting on her personality and not her singing, or it seems that the way people view her singing is very much based on her “personality”. i find that irritating. she’s pretty talented. not my favorite at all, but i agree with Slezak- she’s my favorite out of that group of 4. and would have been even if Jillian had made it.

So when do we think they’ll do a “wild card” spot and bring Jillian back or allow America to vote someone back. If they don’t then Demi is really that stupid to put the shrill and bland Paige through over Jillian.

Simon loves these fake outs like last year when ‘didn’t choose’ Melanie Amaro…who was obviously going to win.

Emblem3 will have a tough time and Willie Jones won’t do much better. Jennel for the win!

I don’t think the groups category is a strong bunch at all. Lyric145 is great, but I could easily see the other three groups going home before the halfway mark. It depends on how hard the voting is on groups, I guess, to some extent. The young adults is barely better. I really like Willie, although he doesn’t have the strongest voice. Same goes for Jennel. Paige and CeCe won’t last (unless CeCe can overcome her early personality issues).
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I think the youngies and the oldies are the strong groups. The three young girls are all fantastic. Diamond is my favourite for now, but I could see the other two surpassing her as time goes on. Beatrice in particular seems like she has a real shot at winning it all. For the oldies, I like them all.

I really love Lyric 145 – they’re my surprise team this year. Emblem3 are my least favorite group. I don’t dig their attitude. But overall, the groups are the strongest category this year. They went from dead last season with Paula to first now, just cause Simon is mentoring them.
I also like Demi’s group so far. Britney and LA Reid’s group is meh to me, with one or two stand outs that could win.

It seems that once again people assume that the edits contestants get on these shows has anything to do with what kind of person they are… It’s very annoying. Look, I have no opinion on Cece’s personality, because I have never really been exposed to it! Imagine if somw

ugh. i shouldn’t post from my ipod… anyway:
imagine if someone were to film you for 3 weeks and then edit it to about 15 minutes of screen time. they can basically do WHATEVER they want with your image. i know i have about 15 minutes a week when i’m angry. so you can make me look like an angry person….
Slezak is always aware of that and that’s why he still sees that CeCe is talented. he isn’t referring to her “personality” but to her performance. and in a pretty week group (i think the winner this year is probably in the teens or group categories)- she could be ranked first.

my point is not to tell you that my favorite is better than yours (i think at this point i’m most excited about Lyric 145, Lylas and Sister C- even though the producers are trying to convince me that Sister C is annoying).

i just want these message boards to be about singing and performing, not the same personal attacks we saw with Idol last year. we’re not stupid, so let’s stop acting like it. we can watch these shows and be critical at the same time. especially before the live shows- nothing here is “reality”. it’s cheap, unscripted fiction.

So irritated that us West Coasters got a whole 30 second recap of LA & Britney’s choices and an hour of the other two teams. What a bunch of crap. I understand it for the East Coast but us Westies didn’t get any of the episode last week. Boo on FOX.

Cece is talented but I doubt she’ll win. She isn’t really well liked by viewers because she comes off being very arrogant. Paige won’t win either because she just isn’t that talented. I think Carly will win it.

The problem with CeCe is although she has a great voice, her personality makes me want to put my car in reverse and drive over her. Of the groups, I think Britney’s and Simon’s are the best with L.A. not far behind.

You’re not an insider. People who are on the inside enough to know what is in the contract (and that is few people indeed) are also on the inside enough to know that you don’t post whats in the contract on TVLine. Nor is Britney’s agent ever going to let through such a dumb clause. ‘Oh yeah, I’ll just sign a clause that says I have to do another season if I win… a rigged show’. Thats basically what you are saying. You must think pretty lowly of contract lawyers.

Oh you ain’t seen nothing yet. You should check out the X Factor UK. They get bloody during the live shows. When Mat Cardle and Aiden Grimshaw were on the show, their fans actually made pacts, truces, and teamed up in situations, just like governments. It was awesomely hilarious.

Carly Rose Sonenclar – She seems okay but an exagerrated version of Rachel Crow (whom I loved. Rachel made me have moments [her and Astro])

Diamond White – See Carly Rose Sonenclar

Beatrice Miller – See Carly and Diamond

Arin Ray – his vocals are still “weak” to me, so I think he will be the 1st to leave, but then again, we have that teen girl voting thing to consider.

Jennel Garcia – I like her, she needs to either do the sexy in rhythm or not do it, for me her rhythm is off.

CeCe Frey – I can take her or leave her, my preference is Jennel.

Paige Thomas – If Jillian didn’t LOOK SO MUCH LIKE CeCe, I’d say Paige should have left instead of her, but the 2 young ladies (CeCe& Jillian) were to similar in looks and talent. Paige will probably go home first.

Willie Jones – PLEASE give him a makeover – that hightop fade is so not cute, and I did love his audition, let’s see if he can learn to pigeon hole his voice.

Sister C – Very good vocally – but they haven’t been on my radar.

Lylas – Too many girls in one group for me, but I suppose if they learn to mix their voices they would be okay, they can’t continue to sing all individual parts without any major harmonizing and call themselves a group.

Emblem3 – I didn’t get the hype from the audition, but I will watch them perform each week.

Lyric 145 – MY FAVORITE – becaus they seem to be the only one bringing some HIGH ENERGY LIFE to this show.

Vino Alan – His voice is soulful, and I always like soulful singers on these competitions, because too many ballads without any real soul makes me tired. But the head tattoo can be his undoing, because I am already tired of the hats. If he was going to be self conscious about having the head tattoo’s he shouldn’t have gotten them. Tattoo’s are really not all that cool when you are looking for employment.

Tate Stevens – I liked him instantly – my first reation was that “Blake Shelton would be made he didn’t have him on the Voice – LOL”

Jason Brock – If they can take the theatre out of his persona, he will go far.

Disagree with you a lot on Tate Stevens, he seems like just about the most forgettable of them all to me and with the young teens group, all three of the girls are nothing at all like the scary programmed robot melt down Rachel Crow, I see a lot more depth and maturity and thought in them.
Yeah, I’m generally not much of a rap/hip-hop fan but that Lyric 145 audition as Simon’s house, that was pretty sick, groups normally go no where in contests these days in the US but man they just may go far, very far. We will see though. We only saw them do one great thing.

I think Lylas should have been ranked higher, but I like all the groups, so no complaints! Also, Michael, I hate to break it to you, but there’s a very good chance Sister C will not make it past the Judges’ next cut. Which is unfortunate, that they have do it by groups like that, because they have better talent than many of the contestants.

i’m an adult woman and i must admit i like emblem 3. they have fun and contagious energy about them. them, sisters c and lyric 145 all have shot at doing well even outside the show. all the rest are very mediocre. also, still Bitter about panda! can u get her on for a chat one of these days?

Either Jillian is going to be Melanie Amaro’d & brought back in dramatic fashion or the show didn’t know what to do with her constant crying. I know she’s been through a lot and I’m not criticizing her (I’m a fan) but the girl was literally on the verge of tears every time she was on camera. They may have thought she was a bit too emotionally unstable for the kind of run she would’ve went on making the show. There’s really no other explanation because out of every contestant, she came across the most real and pulled emotion out of me when she sang. Maybe the producers were worried about her putting her pain on display week in week out? It really makes no sense. There’s more to this story. She’ll either be back or there’s some serious behind the scenes concern that she couldn’t handle this.

I don’t buy the “Jillian may not be tough enough to cut it” line. If anyone bothers to take a look at her resume, they will see what a pro she is. If she was not up to X Factor, she would not have done the gigs she has done already. Way more than CeCe ever thought about doing. The only one with as much or more pro experience is Carly (which is amazing considering her young age). So we should all move along and consider the possibility that the producers wrote this script out and told Demi to cut Jillian just to create drama and then tell her to bring Jillian back. Or, the worse case: Demi is really that stupid and is unable to be a good judge of talent. I think it is the former. If not, I have no interest to waste time watching this crap show anymore.

I don’t know, what about Paige then? She was dripping like a literal waterfall! But yeah who knows. As corny as it would be, I hope they bring her back as a surprise (if it was all planned it does seem a bit cruel to make her go through all the sob works, but X-Factor has always seemed to make it clear they care about drama foremost and whatever it takes to get it).

Free Haley – The whole show is turning me off. It really feels like they do as much as they possibly can to make these people break down and cry. It goes above and beyond the fake outs on Idol. If Jillian is brought back it would be great, but I don’t understand the need to destroy her like that. I really don’t. All it did was make her a wreck and make us question the intent of the show. As for Paige, she looks Rihanna and she has the “my baby’s future” story. I’m getting tired of these shows focusing on the sob stories. I always relate to people who can flat out sing and hit their notes. I could care less about the back stories.

Jillian could have received the same edit as CeCe? Perhaps she wasn’t really in tears as much as it appeared due to the edits?
Can’t stand Emblem3. No other contestant could screw up like they did and still be passed on? I see why Simon thinks they might catch on like 1D but there is something about them that makes them unlike able. He should have taken Playback instead.

I disagree with the decision to choose Willie over Jillian. Frankly, the only interesting thing about him is that he’s a black kid who sings country. His talent is only in the “Not Bad” category. Jillian is a good singer who connects to the audience better. Well, at least for me.

But I would have gladly taken Willie if it meant Cece was cut. I admit, she can sing. I admit, she has the looks. It’s her attitude that I can’t stand! I think she’d be a winner if she wasn’t so dang cocky. She sings like she knows she sounds good, like she’s giving us a gift just by her mere presence. I cannot stand over-confident trash like her. It remind me of a certain Haley Reinhart from AI, who also annoyed me with her “singing” (obnoxious growling).

Out of all 6, Cece and Jillian had the best voices. Jennel and Paige both had great auditions but later were very disappointing in boot camp. Willie screwed up in duets but otherwise was pretty stable, and his decision to repeat the song he messed up on for Demi was a risk that worked for him.

In the end I think Jennel or Paige should have been sent home, as they were both the weakest (besides that rapper that shall not be named, mainly because I forgot his name). But since Jennel is much more popular I think it should have been Paige that left.

If Lylas can pull a Delilah (NBC’s Sing Off) I think they can garner a lot of votes. But they need to play up the sexy and confidence, and get familiar with their voices.

Delilah started out the same way as Lylas did, except Delilah formed the group themselves. They had some amazing performances and some not-so-amazing, but the amazing ones were always a delight to listen to.

Camilla Cabello and Lauren Jauregui are both the stars of the group based on their performance, so they need to focus on those two leading the songs.

I agree with pretty much all of the summary but I don’t think the groups are the strongest set or the ones to beat at all. I think they will last longer than last season but that doesn’t say much. There is some promise with them, Lyric 145 certainly had a super cool and impressive first audition.

Well I thought Playback was awful and it made me uncomfortable watching them I was happy they got send home.
Although they are HUGE assheads, I really really really like Emblem3, I love their sound. Actually I like every group like a LOT. LOVE LOVE LOVE Sister C and Lyric 145. Lylas are great too. Damn.
But my favorites by far are Jennel Garcia, David Correy, Sister C, Lyric 145 and Carly Rose.
I like Cece but looking at it, i would be pissed if she wins. And I dislike Paige, a lot.

Am I the only one who likes Emblem 3? I’ve seen videos of some of their gigs and they are really good. I do have to say, their show edit have not been pleasant but the guys act pretty much like everyone on this forum — NORMAL. I don’t think they have bashed nor put down any other contestant, which is good. I guess they just appear too confident about themselves. Having said that, there is one video they uploaded, apologizing to people who feel offended by them. (I could only blame x factor’s bad editing). I honestly think these guys deserve another look at the live shows.

My only problem with Emblem 3 at Simon’s house was that they did not seem as prepared as the other groups. If they want to win this, they have to take song preparation more seriously, because another slip up like last time will do them in.

I think there is star quality to the teens and the groups category. Some of these individuals could be making records at this moment and would sell millions. Emblem 3’s originality is cool. I actually like them better than Sister C (because individually the blonde girl is a star but when they harmonize it does not sound that well). I do like Lylas and I think big things will come of this group once they feature Camila and Lauren more. I understand people had a problem with them not harmonizing a lot in their audition, but they will be better as that audition was in August and they have had close to 3 months to get everything together. Lyric 145 is star hip hop group in the making. I think they can do so much with this group in terms of styles and song. In one song they could just feature Lyric as the only rapper while the other two sing harmonies. Someone on youtube was complaining because they were saying the because Lyric is a rapper she needs to do her own stuff, but the beauty of this group is that they can take a well known song and do a version that blows people minds so much so that it is immediately better than the original. I actually thought Playback would advance initially. Every spoiler website out there had them advancing, but when I saw that they had already made youtube videos of other songs, which they sound much better and Johnny, Owen, and Austin can actually SING despite what people believe based on some editing by FOX. Even though Owen and Johnny like to rap they have a quality in their voices.

I am not sure why people are surprised that CeCe and Paige both made it through based on Fox edits alone. They have been building up this rivalry for the live shows since the beginning of boot camp (Just like the Carly and Beatrice one). It is for the rating people that both of them are still around because whether you hate them or love them you are still talking about them, and the old saying is any publicity is good publicity. I would like to make a side note here that Simon and the producers formed LYLAS to protect certain people in order to get them to live shows because Camila should have been a solo artists that is the only conclusion that can be made about that. The fact about Willie Jones is that after I saw that he made it to top 24 after he forgot the words to the sing in the battle round with Tate Stevens. I knew they would put him in the Top 16, because if not there was no reason to advance him past booth camp. If you watch the edits they will generally give you a good idea who will make it to live shows. I actually would have eliminated him for forgetting the words at that point, because no one else who forgot the words made it through as a solely act from boot camp.

The problem with LA’s group is marketability. People did not like him talking about the package, the package but it is true. If Jason would chose better songs (more diverse selection) to sing he may go far in the competition. He should not be singing broadway or opera type stuff everytime he performs. The look of David and Vino may rub people the wrong way. However, both of them have unique qualities in their voices which would work well on the radio or on an album. David did find his birth mother.

. My top 2 from each category:
Carly Rose
Diamond White (Note that I think Beatrice can be right there with both of them if she puts performances like she did on Titanium. I had her number 1 in the group on performance Britney’s house. Also, I feel bad for Arin because he comes back only to be beat by these girls who are young then him. I do think he has been much more consistent than Willie, Paige, or Jennel though. The teens group is stacked!)

CeCe Frey
Paige Thomas (Willie hasnt been very consistent, and Jennel and Paige at times are shaky. Jennel needs to work on her image for the live shows. The problem that Paige has is that she is too much a Rihanna look alike meaning she is not unique enough and the rivalry between CeCe seems to be getting the best of her. That’s why Jennel and Willie may go further than both CeCe and Paige if they cannot put their cattiness aside and focus on the whole competition)

David Correy
Vino Alan (I have an issue with Tate, because to me he sounds like someone I could listen to at any country bar I go to. He does has control of his pitch and picks songs that compliments his voice which is very smart. I think that is why he is in the Top 16, because of that smart decision making. Jason has a big voice but at times it is too powerful and seems like he over sings. If he would relax while he sings and show more emotion and not be too technical he could go far)

Lyric 145
LYLAS (At Simon’s house, I actually though the 3 groups that would formed collectively outshine the other 3 groups that been together for years. It appeared that Emblem 3 did not take the other groups too seriously but not that they have heard them I think they will step up their game as they should if they want to stick around. The look on the blonde hair guy’s face when Lyric moved her hips was priceless. Also, the looks on the other groups’ face as Lyric 145 was performing should have told you all how the other groups felt about Lyric 145. Playback actually outperformed Emblem 3 at Simon’s house in terms of pitch, energy, harmonies. If you do not believe me, rewatch both of them. Playback had better harmonies and despite what people think these guys actually can sing. No they are not One Direction they are Playback and they are a bit younger than One Direction with time and the right song choices they will become a group you will hear more about in the coming years. Mark it down.)

I think Britney’s got the strongest group. Carly and Beatrice are phenomenal. Demi’s probably got the next strongest bunch but I woulda kept Jillian over Jennel. Simon’s third and my condolences to LA, no wonder he was PO’d. hahaha

I’m conflicted about Emblem3. On one hand, I want to see them get the first boot being such arrogant azzes that they are. On the other hand, I enjoy the shirtless guy’s body. He needs to take his pants off next.